If you or a loved one are the victim of a personal injury, this can mean a loss of income and expensive medical bills, even financial devastation. Hiring a personal injury attorney will give you the best chance possible to receive the compensation you deserve, but it’s natural to wonder how much it would cost to hire a personal injury attorney, and whether or not you can afford the law firm’s services.
Read on for more information about how (and how much) a personal injury lawyer might charge.
Fee Structures for Personal Injury Cases
Many law firms offer a free consultation to discuss the specifics of the case. During this meeting, take the time to discuss fees with the attorney, that way you have a complete understanding of how the firm charges for personal injury cases.
It’s possible they may charge an hourly rate or a flat fee. However, in the case of personal injury, most attorneys work on a contingency basis—this means no costs up front and you only pay the attorney when an acceptable settlement is reached. With a contingency fee arrangement, the attorney feels confident in the personal injury case to take the financial risk, meaning that the client isn’t paying fees to pursue their personal injury case up front.
A typical arrangement involves the attorney being paid 33 percent to 40 percent of the proceeds awarded, along with agreed upon expenses. If a settlement is not awarded, then the attorney does not get paid. A standard percentage could be 33.3 percent for cases that are settled without the need of a lawsuit and 40 percent for cases that do go to court.
As an example of how this could work, let’s say that there are $6,000 in expenses in a case, and the amount of $100,000 is awarded. The $6,000 would be subtracted from the award, with the remaining amount divided according to the agreed upon percentage in the contingency fee agreement. Note that some attorneys subtract the costs after the percentage is calculated, which would cost you more.
Agreed Upon Costs
Costs are the expenses needed to pay for services to pursue your personal injury claim. These should be listed in writing, part of the law firm’s agreement with you. Some can be fairly small and hard to avoid, such as court filing fees, while others may be more involved, such as hiring an expert to go through medical records or scheduling a special type of court proceeding. The agreement may include a maximum dollar amount of expenses that your attorney can spend on your behalf without getting express permission from you.
Harrell & Harrell, P.A., Personal Injury Attorneys
Our team of accident attorneys has been practicing personal injury law sin
Our law firm works on a contingency basis—you only pay if we win—and we offer free consultations to review and discuss the specifics of your case. To schedule yours, please contact us online or call (904)-251-1111. Our highly experienced personal injury lawyers have been helping accident victims to put their financial futures back on track after suffering a catastrophic event for more than 40 years. Here is more information about our verdicts and settlements, as well as client testimonials.